Farm animals and the cold

So how do cold-blooded creatures cope with this season, anyway? First of all, let’s be clear on what, “cold-blooded” means. This is actually an inaccurate and outdated word. We’re talking about animals that get their heat from their environment, like amphibians, reptiles, insects and other arthropods, and fish. We call them “ectothermic”, meaning literally, “outside heat”. These creatures seek out warm places or cooler places in order to stay just the right temperature. The benefit of being ectothermic is food. They don’t need to eat nearly as much as mammals and birds who need to fuel that fire within. Going without eating for a few months therefore works for them; winter’s cold though is a challenge.